the Great Debate: Kobe or T-Mac?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-sptwhitley28112802nov28,0,7339075.column?coll=orl%2Dsports%2Dheadline

Basketball's Great Debate finally hit the floor Wednesday night. Magic-Lakers. You know what that meant.

That poll actually asked who's better, McGrady or Kobe Bryant? With all due respect to Madsen, the Lakers' loveable, rhythm-impaired center, the real question is not so easily answered. It is quickly becoming one of those questions for the ages.

Bird or Magic? Stones or Beatles? Boxers or briefs?

There is no wrong answer, only different ones. Though one thing is now beyond debate.

McGrady is better.

The record crowd at the TD Waterhouse Centre sure thought so after T-Mac faked a spin that made Bryant look like Madsen trying to dance at the last L.A. title celebration. The crowd laughed at poor, defenseless Kobe, who doesn't suffer indignity well.

"I normally don't retaliate," he said.

Bryant blew past McGrady on the baseline and hammered down a dunk that was felt all the way back in L.A.

Ergo, Kobe is better.

That's how this debate goes. It cannot be settled in one game, though we can tell you who has the better team. That would be McGrady, who had proven commodities like Mike Miller, Darrell Armstrong and (sometimes) Grant Hill to help him. Bryant had Soumaila Samake, Stanislav Medvedenko and Jannero Pargo. The fact management has let Kobe's supporting cast turn into the U.N. intramural team may eventually cost L.A. a fourth consecutive title.

"They're both great," Doc Rivers said. "Leave it at that."

You might as well ask people to stop debating boxers or briefs. Some say Bryant is a better defender. He also has the ultimate last line of defense backing him up in O'Neal.

"They are the two best," said O'Neal, conveniently overlooking himself.

If Kobe vs. T-Mac were a regular production, the NBA wouldn't have to rely on Charles Barkley kissing a donkey's rear end to generate national attention. How sweet would it be to see the Great Debate played out more than twice a year?

For now, we'll just have to savor the drives, the spins, the dunks and Wednesday's final results. T-Mac had 38. Kobe had 38. Madsen had 0.

That pretty much settles that.

Interesting article...perfect for some good forum discussion...
so...
Kobe or T-mac?...

Before I would have said T-Mac, but Kobe is playing a better all-round game this season. Statistically, Kobe is playing better right now, but I consider T-Mac to be better from downtown, and a better shooter overall. I don't think it can really be settled like the Bird vs Magic argument since Kobe and T-Mac are active players with many years left in the NBA, so right now I'll say Kobe is playing better statistically speaking (mainly because he was the lone star on the Lakers for the first few weeks of the season), but T-Mac is just as capable of producing the same numbers.

Vote goes to Kobe...for now.

Oh No!!! Here it starts! Well the game was great and im unlucky to have only been able to see the highlights but it looked great!!

Anyway hopefully this discussion won't get out of hand, lets hopefully just give opinions, mine is Kobe Bryant(from a lifetime LAL supporter, slightly biased ) but I have my strong reasons. Nevertheless T-Mac is super and is getting better rapidly so you never know despite his excellence I'll stick by my vote for Kobe.

There are two 'not2bad' articles at espn.com discussing the same.

One day in the (far)Future there won't be much argument... least thats what I think. 8)

I like both, but if I have to choose, right now I'll have to go with Kobe. This argument will probably be only settled when both meet in the finals in the future. (w/ Shaq retired of course) By that time, both teams should be designed for their style of play. Either that, or they play a televised one on one game (best of 5 games).

love them both..but i think if i was starting a team i'd choose T-Mac...if i'm adding a player into an already decent team..Kobe would be better since u kno he can co-exist with a star
Kobe is more clutch..and has more experience...so kobe it is for me!

[color=green][b]I went with Kobe. Mainly due to me being a LA and Kobe fan. It's too hard to choose one over the other because both their games are so alike and so complete. They are the two most talented players in the league, the world. I'm also taking Kobe because he has played basketball at the very highest level (NBA Finals) and has shown that he has what it takes to play his best basketball at these times.I think that is the most important thing that a player can bring to a team. The ability to rise above it all and play their best. TMac hasn't shown that, yet. I'm pretty sure he will do it this year but.

I'd have to say kobe,
like ppl have said, he is better statisically.
Another reason for my choice is that imo Tracy Mcgrady (The real T-Mac is Todd Macculoch ) has not got as much weapons offensivewise, he either takes 3's or posts up smaller guards/forwards. Kobe has a more a complete game inside the 3pt line, he can also post up smaller guards like Tracy, but he can also consistently hit the in between shoot.

Defensively I'd say its a tie between the two. But even though its not a statistical, i like the fact that Kobe works his butt off during the off-season to get better and not just rely on his natural talent that i think tracy does.

And in that article that Nick quoted, off the topic of sorts, but it was nice to see that somebody finally see's that Kobe might have Shaq, but besides that everybody is else is pretty much a 7or 8th man on any other team if that. Mcgrady has a better team behind then most ppl might think...

Anyways overall i think kobe is the better of the two, better alround game..
anybody know how many tripple doubles Mcgrady has for his career?

Cheers

That would be McGrady, who had proven commodities like Mike Miller, Darrell Armstrong and (sometimes) Grant Hill to help him. Bryant had Soumaila Samake, Stanislav Medvedenko and Jannero Pargo.

Typical propaganda style writng, trying to show Kobe is better on false facts. He mentions T-Mac's best teammates while he suddenly forget about Kobe's and decides to mention only his worst teammates? Bah

Its a hard choise but I have to go with Kobe Bryant
He´s more all-around and he really works his *ss off every single game.
And statisically hes also better

I tell ya what on the offensive end its a persons opinion against a persons opinion, it will never end, but defensive, i'd have to say kobe
you tell him to shut down a guy, he will
t-mac, can do it sometimes, but he hardly ever will
but IMO kobe is better
Statisticly kobe is better, all-round kobe is better, getting to the hoop t-mac is better
but it seems to me that t-mac struggles against longer and taller defenders
KG for example, took him to school
but this discussion will never end so its opinion vs opinion

Tracy McGrady = Next Penny Hardaway

I hope he won't be the next Penny. I think T'Mac is better than Penny was.

tie

T-mac all the way baby.I always knew he would be a star since on started playing on toronto

They both stink...

go ISIAH RIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I say T-Mac. Kobe is great, but I'll wait to see how good he is when Shaq is not around, and whether his team winsor not.

tmac = can lead his team w/little help
kobe = nuthin w/o shaq

but overall i would hav to say AI 8)

T-Mac...taller, better rebounding, blocking, and defensive skils...same scoring and offensive skills....much more of a team leader...

t-mac does not have netter defensive skills, no way
better rebounding, well just check the stats
team leader, i dont know really, orlando has better overall players than the lakers, so he doesnt really need to lead to get the team to play well, on the other hand, kobe does wot he can to get others involved, they just suck, besides shaq of course
kobe is the better player

I mean look at todays game, kobe stepped up in the clutch and sent memphis off crying, thats leadership
and dont say shaq lead the team today, coz it was all kobe
45pnts 6rebs 5asts 18-35 2-4 from downtown
another great game agaisnt memphis, he must love putting that tea mto shame lol, 56pnts in 34mins ring a bell??
hehee

better rebounding, well just check the stats

Bah.. Kobe only averages 9 rebounds a game this season because Shaq was out. Typical Laker fan argument...

02-03
Kobe: 9.00
T-Mac: 6.50

01-02
Kobe: 5.50
T-Mac: 7.90

00-01
Kobe: 5.90
T-Mac: 7.50

99-00
Kobe: 6.30
T-Mac: 6.30

98-99
Kobe: 5.30
T-Mac: 5.70

97-98
Kobe: 3.10
T-Mac: 4.20

So you see there's only one season where Kobe had just as many rebounds a game.. and the rest he has lower (except for this season'so far but I also mentioned that at the beginning)

The reason Kobe's rebounding numbers have gone up is because Shaq was out. He doesn't have to do the rebounding when Shaq is in there, he can start running the floor. TMac doesn't have the luxury of having Shaq in the middle so he has to work on the boards a little harder.

The real reason Kobe got more rebounds this year, because his weight, he increased 20pounds this year(because at the beginning of this season, I read an article about Kobe, and it said Kobe increased 20pounds, and didn't take vacations, but practice balls), not because of Shaq, Shaq played 4 or 5 games already, and Kobe still got a lot of rebounds.
I like both Kobe and T-mac, I am pretty sure this year's mvp is either one of those two, Kobe got more chance right now, last night, another 45pts.

Last edited by ningtong88 on Sun Dec 01, 2002 4:17 am, edited 3 times in total.

By the way, T-mac is 6-8, but only weight 200pounds, that's way too skinny compare to Kobe, he gotta do something about that. I use Magic for Franchise, so you can tell how much I like T-mac, but I still would pick Kobe for this year's best, because he tries so hard, in every single game he played so far this season, he made the best effort for the team, and had three triple-doubles already. AI's ere is past, he's not that good anymore, now is T-K time.

mcgrady all the way. i'll give bryant credit for working hard in the offseason, but i think mcgrady does too. btw, mcgrady is getting all these stats with a bad back.

Kobe has knee problem too.